October Faction: Netflix’s latest sci-fi horror series is heavy on the drama but light on the monsters
By Mads Lennon
October Faction is Netflix’s latest graphic novel adaptation. The series follows a family of globetrotting monster hunters and the horrors of high school.
October Faction is the latest Netflix offering for sci-fi and horror fans. The show is based on the comic book series of the same name by Steve Niles and Damien Worm.
Fred and Deloris Allen are a pair of globetrotting monster hunters who face-off against a vampire biker gang within the first three episodes. After Fred’s father dies, the family relocates to their hometown in New York with their kids, Viv and Geoff. The Allens try to adapt to their new home while also keeping their identities secret.
The premise is great, and when the show digs into the monster side of things, it gets genuinely fun and a little campy. The writing isn’t top-notch by any means, there are several conversations, generally between the teen characters, that made me roll my eyes.
However, the main issue I’m having with October Faction thus far is the emphasis on family drama and teen angst instead of the supernatural side. I want to see more monsters! I want to learn more about the backstory of the secret organization and watch Fred and Deloris fight monsters.
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Right now, we’re getting a strange mix of Supernatural and Degrassi but without the edge of either. The high school stuff is fun, but the series is a little bogged down by it. The first three episodes are mainly focused on Geoff and Viv’s acclimation to their new school, where they instantly get targeted by bullies. It’s the typical mean girl/jock bully scenario.
On the other hand, it’s nice to see an inclusive cast, the family is mixed-race and at least one of the teenagers is gay. I’m just waiting for the action to pick up. For a show that’s rated TV-MA, one would expect there to be far more intensity and thrills.
Perhaps the biggest downside for this show is the writing. The acting from some characters isn’t great either, J.C. MacKenzie is miscast as Fred Allen. Currently, Tamara Taylor, who plays Deloris, is the cast standout and the most intriguing character with Geoff and Viv falling in behind her.
But back to the writing — it’s rough. Almost every conversation between Viv and her new maybe-friend Cathy in the early episodes will give you secondhand embarrassment, as will some of the barbed insults traded between Geoff and the bullies he contends with every day.
I could overlook the writing if the series would play it up and dive headfirst into the campiness. I’d like to see more fight scenes and creatures, but I think the show’s low budget is affecting that side of things.
All that said, something is charming about October Faction, at least enough that I will stick it out to the end and recommend it to anyone who doesn’t have anything else to watch. It’s not a show I’d say you should rush out and binge immediately, but if you like CW shows and you want something relatively low-profile and easy to follow, then this is a good a pick as any.
dark. Next. Ma and more horror streaming in February
Have you watched October Faction since it debuted on Netflix? Are you planning to check out the series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Season 1 of October Faction is now streaming.